The 26-year-old blonde from Oklahoma won the big prize, but her victory was not broadcast on NBC or Univision in protest against the billionaire Republican presidential primary candidate and holder of the rights for the event, who last month attacked illegal immigrants from Mexico as "rapists" who bring "drugs and disease". Despite the controversy, the Miss U.S.A. pageant went ahead as scheduled.
  The model from Tulsa, asked what she thought was the central issue facing the nation, replied without hesitation: "race relations". "We have not solved this issue. ... We really need to work on being an accepting society and be a society where every single person, no matter your race, no matter your gender, is given the same rights and privileges and opportunities," she continued. Miss Oklahoma won the title from among 50 competitors who gave interviews, took beauty tests, did voluntary work and appeared in various fashion shows over the last two weeks in order to reach the final in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Last year, over 5.5 million people followed the beauty contest on NBC, before the broadcaster pulled the plug after Trump's pronouncements. (AGI)